Environmental Policy

How we connect to the environment

Water is our business. But water is more than that. It's essential for life. Only 0.01% of the planet's water is readily available fresh water. The availability and quality of water in the UK depends on all our attitudes and actions now and in the future.
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Despite our temperate climate with a seemingly abundant supply of rain, parts of the UK are already experiencing threats to their water supply, including localised drought, flooding, pollution, and an ageing water infrastructure. These challenges will only increase if populations continue to grow, climate changes continue, and if people and businesses don't change how we use and manage our water.
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Using less water reduces the amounts of:
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• Chemicals used to treat drinking water;
• Energy uses to transport water, and
• Wastewater transported and treated.

This all reduces the carbon footprint of the water cycle, and ultimately its impact on climate change.
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As a water retailer, Everflow Water can help our customers better understand the challenges their markets and communities face regarding water and the environment. We aim to help customers save water in a way that also saves them money.
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Our commitments

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As with everything we do, the way we help our customers do their bit towards protecting the environment will always aim to deliver top-notch services, for a good price, as simply as possible.

We'll protect and improve the environment by:
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Promoting environmentally conscious behaviour by offering products and services to support customers.

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A large proportion of business sites in the UK and the water infrastructure were built before the need to limit how much water we use. Now that populations have increased, as well as water usage, businesses need advice and retrofitted devices and systems to help reduce their water use.
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We'll:

• Ensure that our company is incentivised to reduce water use among our customers by our pricing structure;
• Inform customers about environmental issues relating to water, and why and how they need to act;
• Work with customers in a targeted and tailored way to reduce their water use and improve their impact on the environment, and
• Collaborate with innovative partners to develop a leading water efficiency service.

Demonstrating responsible environmental behaviour in the way we manage our business

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It's important that we 'walk the talk' so that we can base our advice to customers on experience, innovate and lead in this field.
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We'll:

• Ensure employees and our business premises are equipped to use water and wastewater services wisely - both at home and at work;
• Encourage employees to make carbon conscious choices about travel for work purposes, and
• Influence our suppliers and partners to improve their impact on the environment.
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Investing some of our profits in protecting and improving the environment

We're a private company and therefore need most of our activity to be profitable or cost neutral for us to remain a sustainable business. However, we recognise that not all our activities to support the environment can be profitable, at least straight away.
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We'll:

• Invest in projects which seek to protect and improve the environment through innovation, and
• Provide donations to customers with the most urgent need and least financial means to fix leaks and save water.
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Collaborating with the industry to ensure that every non-household customer has access to a smart water meter

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Smart meters are essential for measuring how much water customers are using in real time to detect leaks and wasteful usage fast so that customers can make changes that save them money and put less pressure on the water network and water resources.

Smart meters empower customers to manage their impact on the environment by making them more aware of their water use. They also help customers receive more accurate bills and save money because more processes can be automated and done remotely. For example, reading meters.

We'll:

• Work in partnership to offer smart metering options (smart meters, data logger attachments, or other innovations) to our customers as part of our service offering;
• Advocate a national approach to delivering smart metering for every business customer, and
• Consider options for customers who don't have a water meter and for whom the cost of getting one isn't justified, including alternatives to meters, to identify leaks and encourage them to use less water.

Working with the wider water industry on environmental issues

As a water retailer, we can communicate with, support, influence and learn from many others in the water industry who have similar aims for the environment. We appreciate that our customers' time is valuable, so will coordinate our efforts to avoid duplicate communications from others in the water industry.

We'll:

• Support national water saving and other environmental campaigns;
• Collaborate with wholesale water companies to encourage environmental action and deliver shared environmental goals, and
• Influence policy makers and regulators as they develop their directions on environmental action in the water industry.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our Environmental Policy, please contact clare.galland@everflowwater.com